When was George Washington inaugurated as the first U.S. president?

George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president on April 30, 1789.

The ceremony took place on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital. Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston administered the presidential oath while crowds gathered below. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address to Congress in the Senate chamber.

The federal government had technically begun its constitutional operations on March 4, but logistical delays prevented the Electoral College votes from being counted and certified until April 6. Washington therefore traveled from Mount Vernon to New York after receiving official notification of his election.

The ceremony differed from modern inaugurations in several ways. There was no large inaugural parade or same-day inaugural ball, and the oath was administered privately by a state official rather than the chief justice. Washington’s inauguration established the public pattern for transferring executive authority under the new Constitution.